The project started as an exploration of the city of London, and during the walk I picked out objects which made me emotional. I tried use walking as a way of communication between me and the city. I discussed this project with Franca Lopez Barbera and Shuning Jiang [an object-oriented designer and artist].
The definition of COMMUNICATION from Oxford languages
Canobjectstalk?
Objects do not have the means to speak, but they can convey an endless amount of information. Beyond the practical value of an object, an object contains a variety of other information elements, such as how people perceive and think about it. Objects are the vehicles of everyday life and carry the traces of human life. How are information and even emotions transmitted between people and objects, between one object and another object? OBSERVE the existence of an object, its colour, shape, material, size, place, traces. The process by which an object is made, the process of evolution like that of a living creature, implies human reflection and the changes of history. The choice of a subject for study can be made by starting with a small object, studying its form, its history, etc., rather than starting with a very large subject, which can lead to many unintended results.
Apart from the object itself, the meaning of an object is greatly dependent on the CONTEXT in which it exists, i.e. the context. Under the transformation of context, the forms of existence of objects undergo a corresponding transformation, even if they are in the same time and space. Is the meaning of an object artificially given or does it exist in itself? It is not so much that humans create objects as that they are the result of a close interaction between objects and humans, a symbiotic relationship.
Canpeoplecommunicatewithobjects?
Human and non-human, such a classification is customary, as well as living and non-living objects. What happens when this dualistic categorisation is broken down? That is to say, all existence in the world is seen from a more macrocosmic perspective, i.e. non-humans as ENTITY, humans as ENTITY, and humans in relation to objects as a kind of ENTITY. We no longer distinguish between humans and non-humans by whether or not they can speak and think, but rather we see all types of entity in a more inclusive perspective. When all existence is seen as different forms composed of quanta, the dualistic way of categorisation breaks down naturally.
Communication and interaction between objects and people, among objects, already exists, and it is no longer necessary to think about how to create communication, but rather to OBSERVE existing forms of communication, to observe, follow, interpret and think about the interaction of one being with another.
Communication is about sending and receiving information. Objects are created by humans, so canobjectsshapehumans? Or to what extent do they influence human life? Starting with the brick as the object of my research, I tried to decipher it and communicate with it.
Barbera, F. (2022) Conversation with Linglan Xu, 06 June.
Jiang, S. (2022) Conversation with Linglan Xu, 24 August.